Teesside Crown Court heard there had been issues between Thompson and his victim who crossed path in Middlesbrough.

They crossed paths again at around 4am on May 30 when Thompson started hurling abuse at the victim. He was then punched, grabbed and pulled, causing the injury to his arm that needed a cast for six weeks.

He said he had been consumed by ‘complete and utter rage’, but insisted that another person hit him.

Thompson, from Eston, denied assault causing actual bodily harm.

Julian Gaskin, defending, said Thompson had been due to go to university to study social work.

He told Thompson: ‘This was an act of extreme petulance in my view. It seems from the evidence that I’ve heard, and the jury has heard, that there was a long-running dispute between you and the victim of this assault.